Ben's 36th Birthday

 So I think it was a fun day for Ben and the rest of us.  Long and busy, but hopefully good for Ben.  After we got Jonas from school I thought it would be fun to "decorate" Ben's bike (he bikes to work every day).  The kids were totally excited to do this!  So we got a few balloons and then went to his work "secretly" and tied on some balloons and even put streamers on his handlebars.  I really wanted to put crepe paper in his tire spokes, but it was getting cold and Lucy was running all over the parking lot.  So we left, smiling at our balloons.

So, naturally, we were excited when Ben called to say he was headed home.  We all went out and eagerly awaited to see him on his birthday bike.  :)  Ben said the ride humbled him.  Ha.

But you can just see from this picture how fun it was!  Well, for the kids.  :)

 Ben opened a few of his presents and cards from the kids.  I helped the kids work on some cards and each included a "coupon" for Ben.  Emmy's coupon:  one drawing by her.  Jonas' coupon:  2 games of memory.  Miles' coupon:  hiking the Y.  So cute.

Then we had dinner (beef casserole and butternut squash - his pick) followed by cake.  The cake was super-duper rich.  And delicious.  Think Nutella in cake form.  But the kids weren't big fans.

 36 and handsome.  Nothing wrong with that.

After all this it was gingerbread time.  It was late enough that I was able to get Lucy out of the way to bed.  It was fun.  Ben and I shared a gingerbread house - I didn't get a picture of the "B & E" Ben so lovingly put on the back of our house.  :)

But the big finish of the night has no pictures. . . we played chess.  Ben has wanted to teach and play with me for the past 9 1/2 years and I have sweetly refused.  Until tonight.  I thought it was time to give him this as a birthday present.  So we played.  It lasted forever.  In the end, I won.  By pure accident since I really didn't have much of a clue as to what was happening (I kept telling Ben that he was really just playing against himself. . . )  But it was kind-of fun.  And I just might play again.  Perhaps on December 20th, 2012.

I love this man and was happy to get to celebrate him with our kids.